After winning their opening four games, Worcestershire have now lost four in a row

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2023

Birmingham Bears cemented their top-two spot in the Vitality Blast North Group after triumphing by 21 runs in the West Midlands derby with Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.The Bears were indebted to late hitting from Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell for setting a challenging target.Mousley’s unbeaten 49 was his T20 best this summer while Bethell’s 32 not out was his highest in the competition.Pakistan leg spinner Usama Mir had been re-signed by the Rapids for the remainder of the tournament after Michael Bacewell’s achilles injury and he returned 3 for 22.Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his first T20 half-century of the season for the Rapids but his side struggled to break free from the Bears spinners.After winning their opening four games, Worcestershire have now lost four in a row as they suffered another dent to their qualification hopes.Worcestershire handed a first T20 appearance of the season to allrounder Matthew Waite while batter Adam Hose faced his former team-mates for the first time since moving to New Road on a three-year contract.Ex Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard was recalled to the Bears side but key batter Sam Hain was ruled out with a hamstring injury.The Bears were put in to bat and openers Alex Davies and Rob Yates gave them a flying start. Yates top-edged Dillon Pennington for a huge six over keeper Ben Cox and then Davies was successful with a scoop off Pat Brown to bring up the half-century in 5.1 overs.But Brown made the first breakthrough in the same over when Davies slashed hard to Hose at point.Usama came into the attack and struck in his first over when Yates came down the wicket and was stumped by Ben Cox.Glenn Maxwell was quickly into his stride with a reverse sweep for six off D’Oliveira but soon perished at long on to give Mir a second scalp.Benjamin and Mousley added 51 in 6.2 overs before the former was run out attempting a second run after turning D’Oliveira to deep square leg.Barnard got off the mark with a boundary first ball but on seven tried to sweep Mir in his final over and was lbw.But some destructive hitting from Bethell and Mousley produced 51 runs from 3.1 overs to lift the final total close to 200.The Bears then made early inroads into the Rapids batting line-up.Ed Pollock was restored to the top of the order after Bracewell’s injury and off drove the first delivery from Hasan Ali for four. But the former Bears left hander was taken at mid off in the second over from Maxwell and then Jack Haynes was caught down the legside to the first ball of Henry Brookes’ spellD’Oliveira got the scoreboard moving with a scoop and cover-drive for successive boundaries at Brookes’ expense and back-to-back fours from the Rapids skipper brought up the 50 in 5.2 overs.Hose, who left Edgbaston to play more red-ball cricket, continued his recent good form and added 78 in 8.1 overs with D’Oliveira. But Barnard brought about his downfall with his second delivery as Hose could only pick out Maxwell at deep mid wicket.Worcestershire found it hard to get away the Bears spinners as the run rate climbed over 13 an over.D’Oliveira completed a half-century from 37 balls with one six and five fours but was stumped off Jake Lintott without addition to his score.Mitchell Santner could only find long off when attempting a big hit against Maxwell and, despite a late flurry of runs from Usama, the Bears ran out comfortable winners.

Further scans on the opener’s thumb revealed damage from the blow he took in the T20I series

Alex Malcolm27-Feb-2024

New Zealand opener Devon Conway has been ruled out of the opening Test against Australia in Wellington due to the thumb injury he sustained in the T20 series. Henry Nicholls has been called into the squad although Will Young will be Conway’s likely replacement at the top of the order.Conway damaged his left thumb while wicketkeeping in the second T20I in Auckland on Friday. Initial scans cleared him of a fracture but he did not keep or bat after the blow and was ruled out of the third match of the series. Further investigation has shown damage to the thumb.”It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series.”Related

Sears called up for O'Rourke, Conway to miss start of IPL due to thumb surgery

Wellington rain leaves New Zealand waiting to decide on fourth bowler

Labuschagne confident of finding form by batting more and more

Neil Wagner retires from international cricket

Big Brother makes rare trip across the Tasman for high-stakes contest

Conway will undergo further assessment during the week to ascertain the extent of the injury and the final diagnosis. The second Test starts in Christchurch on March 8.On Tuesday, Stead confirmed that Rachin Ravindra would be fit to play after being left out of the last two T20Is against Australia as a precaution following knee soreness. Daryl Mitchell is also fit to play after missing the second Test against South Africa and the entire T20I series against Australia to manage an ongoing issue with his heel.Neil Wagner announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after being told he would not be selected in the two Tests against Australia. His place in the squad is a ceremonial one for this Wellington Test only.Mitchell Santner is in line to return to the XI•Getty Images

New Zealand played four fast bowlers in their last Test in Hamilton but Stead admitted that, despite winning the match, it was probably a selection mistake. Mitchell Santner looks likely to reclaim his spot in Wellington.”I think in hindsight, we probably got that wrong the way that the pitch did behave,” Stead said. “We’ve certainly got Mitch Santner here as that option and we’ll certainly consider him as well.”Skipper Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke look likely to be the trio of quicks with Scott Kuggeleijn the only other fast-bowling option in the squad. The pitch had a typically green look to it two days out from the first Test but those who have been to the middle said it looks very good and firm underneath despite the covering of live green grass.New Zealand have not beaten Australia in a Test at home since 1993 and have not beaten them anywhere since 2011, but Stead said the series represents an opportunity to improve their record against their neighbours.”We don’t play Australia that often, which is strange considering that they’re just across the Tasman there,” Stead said. “But, look, they always set the benchmark and are current world Test champions and they are that for a reason. They’re a very good side. But that’s our opportunity. And that’s for us to go out and I guess show our wares and we’re certainly looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”

Australia seamer says it isn’t “the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part”

Danyal Rasool24-Dec-2023Pakistan seamers’ lack of express pace in the first Test got plenty of attention at home, and it appears it didn’t go unnoticed by the opposition, either. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc said “everyone” in their set-up was surprised at Pakistan’s inability to hit higher speeds with the ball, particularly given the side’s reputation for it.”I think everyone was slightly surprised at the lower pace of the Pakistan bowlers, when you’re generally used to some guys getting in the 150s [kph],” Starc said, speaking to media at the MCG two days before the start of the second Test. “I don’t think that pace is the be all and end all but it certainly plays a part and can help.”An injury to Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf opting to make himself unavailable for the Test series against Australia meant Pakistan were limited in the number of high-pace options they had to choose from. Much of that burden fell on Shaheen Shah Afridi, but even his pace has been significantly down from his quickest days since his recovery from a knee injury.During the first Test in Perth, he averaged in the low 130 kph, dropping down to the high 120s in the second innings. The other three seam options Pakistan went with are not express either. Khurram Shahzad bowled at medium-fast speeds throughout the game, and though Aamer Jamal picked up as the match went on, he rarely hit 140 kph. It was in stark contrast to Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Starc, each of whom routinely hit the mid-140s. On a spicy wicket that became even livelier as the game went on, that difference was palpable.Related

• Pakistan change tack as Rizwan replaces Sarfaraz for Boxing Day

• For Aamer Jamal, dark alleys will always lead to high streets

• Sarfaraz vs Rizwan: Pakistan's self-inflicted conundrum

• 'I'm really worried' – Waqar questions where Pakistan's pace has gone

• Want to watch Shaheen Afridi bowl? Peer through the fence

Starc acknowledged that the extra pace wouldn’t be quite as crucial at the MCG. “Case in point, you look at Scotty Boland who can bowl good wheels, but he’s not at your top end of pace bowlers,” he said. “But he generates a lot of sideways movement here in Melbourne, obviously being his home ground. He’s done it for a long time and we saw that obviously against England, where every ball he bowled could have been a wicket. So I don’t think that pace is the be all and end all. Certainly, for our attack we all complement each other really well by doing things very differently.”Pakistan’s lack of pace options has also concerned their former captain Waqar Younis. Speaking on ESPN’s show , he said fast bowling had been one aspect about Pakistan that had always been exciting in the past. “But this time around, I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing medium and slow-medium pacers, I’m seeing allrounders. There’s no real pace. People used to come to watch Pakistani pace bowlers running in hard and bowling 150 clicks. That’s what I’m not seeing and that’s what my worry is.”That’s my worry at domestic level as well. I can understand there are a few injuries, but in the past, you saw a battery of fast bowlers in reserve that Pakistan could bring on. But unfortunately, that as not there and it’s something I’m really worried about.”Pakistan’s bowling attack was further hampered by Shahzad being ruled out of the series with a stress fracture. Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza and Mohammad Wasim Jnr all lie in reserve, but none of them, with the possible exception of Wasim Jnr, can truly be classified as express pacers.

Jose Mourinho says Chelsea's Club World Cup win is "only important" for them and that much of the tournament was played at a pre-season pace.

Chelsea win Club World CupMourinho downplays achievement"Only important" to the BluesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea romped to the lucrative Club World Cup title earlier this month but ex-manager Mourinho has downplayed the achievement, suggesting some teams weren't going at full tilt. He added that Real Madrid's run to the semi-finals reminded him of past pre-season campaigns in the United States when he was in charge at Los Blancos and Inter Milan.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MOURINHO SAID

Mourinho told : "This Club World Cup also highlighted a kid who also had a great season at Chelsea, Cole Palmer. But this [Real Madrid] run to the semi-finals reminded me every time I went to the US for pre-season with Real Madrid, with Inter [Milan]; it reminded me of those games we played there. So, I think this World Cup title is only important for Chelsea, as they'll sell a lot of jerseys with the logo there."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mourinho, who had two spells as Chelsea manager, may be right to suggest that not too much should be drawn from the Blues' Club World Cup triumph. After all, many teams were finishing off a lengthy season and some players will have their minds' eye on staying fit for next term and not burning themselves out.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, who will embark upon a scaled-back pre-season tour after their exploits in the United States, take on Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on August 8 and 10, respectively, before kickstarting their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on August 17.

Injury-prone left-arm seamer plays eight games in a Shield season for the first time in his career including five in a row to bag 39 wickets and lead WA’s title-winning attack

Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2024With Western Australia just one wicket away from a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles after an electric passage of play late on day four, Joel Paris was in a reflective mood and turned to experienced teammates Sam Whiteman and Hilton Cartwright.”I reckon this means more than the other two [titles],” he told them.Moments later Paris sealed WA’s comprehensive victory over Tasmania with a blinder of a catch in the gully to trigger scenes of jubilation on-and-off the field at the WACA. “The boys reckon I put a little bit of mayo on it,” laughed Paris as he recalled to ESPNcricinfo his diving effort to his right.”I was just happy it stuck. We had to grind away, we haven’t had it all our way. We played unbelievably well in Victoria to get a home final and then we’ve probably played our best cricket this week.”This one probably sits right at the top for me. We haven’t had the quicks available this year that we normally have and we’ve just had to keep going. It’s very special.”Related

Rocchiccioli fights off flu to elevate his case to be Lyon's heir

Whiteman: We have to be one of the great WA teams

Gannon and Rocchiccioli lead Western Australia's surge to Sheffield Shield hat-trick

Without frontliners Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Matthew Kelly for most of the season, WA had to rely on their fringe quicks. Cameron Gannon, who took eight wickets in the final, and Charlie Stobo stepped up at the backend of the season, but it was the reliable presence of left-armer Paris that held the attack together.Paris was unlucky to only take two wickets in the final as he again set the tone with menacing new ball bowling in both of Tasmania’s innings. He exploited the grassy surface superbly and consistently beat the bat with sharp seam movement.Paris finished the season with 39 wickets at a remarkable average of just 15.2. In 44 first-class matches since debuting in late 2015, he has taken 174 wickets at 20.05 and striking at 45.9.As can be gleaned from his relatively limited number of first-class appearances, Paris has endured a litany of injuries during his career forcing WA to be cautious with his workload.After a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring injury suffered playing for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane, Paris’ durability impressed as he played five straight Shield matches – along with WA’s triumph in the Marsh Cup against New South Wales – culminating with the Shield final.”When you’re in a situation where you just have to keep going, I think your body senses that and just finds something,” Paris said. “I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve this year. The amount of cricket I’ve been able to play…certainly haven’t been able to do it before.”We’ve probably been in a position in past seasons where I’ve been able to rest a little bit more than what I have this season. To get through was really special.”Paris, 31, played two ODIs against India in 2016, but his injuries and the depth of quicks in Australian cricket have kept him away from the international stage.Paris, however, remains on the radar of the Australian hierarchy. Along with playing for Australia A last year, Paris was in the frame for selection on the last Ashes tour.”That desire to play for Australia is always there. For me that will never go away until I put up the boots,” he said. “If an opportunity comes up, I’ll absolutely take it.”Paris is unsure of his offseason plans, with a stint in the UK a possibility but dependent on his body. Right now, however, he is eyeing a well-deserved breather.”I’ll be putting the feet up for a little bit,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy this one [title] as much as possible.”

Chelsea are ready to bide their time in their pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho despite strong interest from Napoli. Manchester United hope offload Garnacho, along with three other outcasts, after agreeing to send Marcus Rashford on a season-long loan to Barcelona. The Blues are keen on signing a new winger but will wait to see if United will reduce their demands for the Argentine.

• Chelsea willing to wait for Garnacho
• Want United to reduce their valuation of the winger
• United eye move for Chelsea's Jackson

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , after Rashford's departure, United will now act swiftly to get rid of their other four wantaways, namely Antony, Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia. Garnacho has attracted strong interest from Napoli and Chelsea, although the report claims that the Blues are willing to wait for United to drop their £60 million ($80m) valuation of the winger, as they consider even £50m ($67m) to be too high for the Argentine.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Devils, who are looking for a new striker, could turn their attention towards Blues frontman Nicolas Jackson. With Liam Delap set to start regularly under Enzo Maresca, Jackson could consider leaving, but Chelsea are likely to hold out for £60m for the striker. United could even consider a swap deal by including Garnacho.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Other than the Blues and Napoli, Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also reportedly keen on signing Garnacho this summer.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  Like Rashford, the Argentina international will hope to find a new home soon so that he can start afresh somewhere away from Old Trafford with the 2025-26 campaign already fast approaching.

Sussex surge into ascendancy after series of half-centuries secure slender first-innings lead

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024

Ollie Robinson took two wickets in three balls as Sussex put themselves in a strong position to claim their first win of the season in the Vitality County Championship.Having bowled 27 wicketless overs in the match, Robinson was finally rewarded when he pinned Cameron Bancroft and James Bracey leg before as Gloucestershire slumped to 27 for 4 in their second innings. They reached stumps on 81 for 6, leading by just 19 at Hove.Ben Charlesworth pulled his third ball over mid-wicket for six, but Robinson quickly settled into an impressive rhythm at good pace down the slope and was rewarded in his sixth over. Bancroft played across a ball which cut back that would have hit leg stump and Bracey, offering minimum footwork, was plumb in front of a straight one.Robinson’s workload is being managed by the ECB and his 9-3-21-2 spell was his longest – and best – spell of the season so far. He bowled four more testing overs and had 2 for 32 from 13 overs at stumps – with power to add tomorrow.Jayden Seales had taken two wickets in his first two overs after Gloucestershire had gone in again trailing by 62 on first innings having dismissed Sussex for 479.Charlesworth drove loosely to backward point in the West Indian’s first over and in his next Ollie Price made a fatal misjudgement when he left a length ball which uprooted his off stump.Skipper Graeme van Burren and Miles Hammond effected a brief recovery before off-spinner Jack Carson struck with his fifth ball when van Burren missed an attempted pull at one which kept a shade low.James Coles then got Sussex a sixth wicket in the penultimate over when Tom Price was leg before.Earlier, Cheteshwar Pujara, John Simpson and Danny Lamb had all passed 50 before Sussex were bowled out for 479 and it was surprising that none went on to make the first hundred of the match.Pujara eased effortlessly from his overnight 75 to 86 and looked odds on to complete his hundred before gifting his wicket. He drove the ball to deep extra cover and hesitated going for a third run. Sub fielder Jack Taylor’s throw was accurate enough to enable Bracey to run him out.When Fynn Hudson-Prentice was beaten in the flight by Zafar Gohar and smartly stumped Sussex still trailed by 103 runs but Simpson and Lamb tilted the balance in their favour with a measured stand of 143 in 34 overs, beating the previous eighth-wicket county record against Gloucestershire of 122 by George Brann and Walter Andrews which had stood since 1892.Lamb was the more aggressive, but Simpson, who made a maiden double-hundred against Leicestershire last week, reaching his fifty by lofting Gohar over long on and added eight fours before he misjudged a pull and Hammond ran in from the midwicket boundary to take a fine catch.Lamb, who scored a century at Leicester, continued his good form with 83 off 116 balls including nine fours and a six. Looking to force the pace, he was bowled by Don Goodman attempting to ramp him over the wicketkeeper.

“Of course, it would have been amazing. But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2024India’s innings was only the second time in Test cricket since August 2018 that the first five wickets fell to attacking shots. And judging from the words of one of their three half-centurions, that approach isn’t going away any time soon.India’s batters bazballed England, particularly on the first day, with the help of a Yashasvi Jaiswal running amok. The 22-year-old opener playing his first Test at home hit the first ball of the innings for four and the first ball of spin for six. That is the way he wants to play and he has no regrets that it was also the way he was dismissed, 20 runs short of a century.”Of course, it would have been amazing if I would have scored a hundred,” Jaiswal said on Friday at the post-match press conference. “But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs and I was quite positive in my mind and I was just thinking, making sure I can build an innings. But it was good actually.”This is my first Test match in India and I was just thinking of contributing well and doing well for my team. When I was playing in the West Indies and South Africa, it was quite a different environment. Here also the environment is quite different. I was really enjoying all the places, of course. It is a proud and honour moment every time I go and play for my country.”Jaiswal seemed to enjoy the fact that all three of England’s frontline spinners were turning the ball into him and took a particular liking to the debutant Tom Hartley. That head-to-head read 44 runs in 26 balls with six fours and two sixes. When asked if it was a deliberate tactic, Jaiswal answered, “No I don’t think so. I was just thinking about how I can play a certain ball.”It wasn’t until the innings was in its 24th over that someone whose stock ball goes away from Jaiswal came on. He walloped Joe Root for four second ball of the day but fell two balls later, caught playing an aggressive shot.”I knew that at some stage he was going to bowl. I was prepared for him. He can bowl first over. But as I said, I was trying my best to do what I could and sometimes I can make a mistake and get out. Still, I’m learning. If I do make a mistake, I’ll make sure that I try to learn from it.”

Were Mumbai Indians tripped up by their focus on holding Jasprit Bumrah back for Heinrich Klaasen? After bowling the fourth over of the innings, Bumrah did not deliver another ball till the 13th over, by which time No. 5 Klaasen was batting on eight off three balls and Sunrisers Hyderabad were already well on their way to a record-breaking score. With almost no pressure, the experienced pair of Klaasen and Aiden Markram saw Bumrah off before lifting Sunrisers to 277 for 3, the highest score in IPL history.On ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut analysis show, former Australia allrounder and Sunrisers head coach Tom Moody said it was “extraordinary” that Mumbai did not course correct earlier. After plundering 81 runs in the powerplay, Sunrisers had raced to 148 for 2 in ten overs and 177 for 3 in 12 before Bumrah returned for his three remaining overs.”When you’ve got the best bowler in the world in this format – if not all formats – and for him to only bowl one over in the first ten overs… to bowl his second over in the 13rd over is extraordinary,” Moody said, analysing the innings alongside former India opener Wasim Jaffer and New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan. “By then, the game’s gone, the game’s totally gone.”I totally get if they want to use a couple of swing bowling options in the first or second over, I understand that. But Jasprit Bumrah has to bowl two overs in the powerplay purely because of what he brings to the table. One of the priorities in powerplay cricket is wickets and he is your best wicket-taker, and he always will be your best wicket-taker. And for him and Mumbai to be starved of that opportunity to try and stem the flow of this onslaught is crazy. It just doesn’t seem right.”Related

• Smith to Hardik on crowd abuse: 'Block it out, it's all irrelevant'

• Swashbuckling. Radiant. High-octane. We have a brand-new SRH

• Sunrisers trump Mumbai in record six-hitting carnage

By the time Bumrah arrived for his second spell, Sunrisers’ left-hand duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had already set the platform for a massive total with fifties in 18 and 16 balls respectively. Their domination of all Mumbai bowlers, bar Bumrah, had led to four 20+ run overs inside the first ten overs of their innings. Still Mumbai held Bumrah back, the damage the big-hitting Klaasen could inflict clearly on their minds.”That’s the issue,” Moody said. “They would have been planning around a number of challenges for today’s match but the biggest challenge around the batting side would’ve been ‘how do we keep Klaasen quiet?'”And they had it stuck in their head that they’ve got to make sure they’ve got overs in the bank from Bumrah when Klaasen comes to the crease. But you have to be flexible with your plans. Every chance that Klaasen may not have batted today the way Sunrisers were going at the top.”2:25

Should Hardik have reassessed his plans?

McClenaghan felt bowling Bumrah up front to negate Head could have proven just as good a strategy as Bumrah vs Klaasen. “Even with match-ups and knowing your biggest threats, you know Travis Head, and you know how Travis Head is going to play. Jasprit Bumrah moving the ball away from Travis Head was a very, very good match-up,” McClenaghan said.Besides, could Mumbai not have adapted their plans midway, especially with strategic time-outs to reassess?”That was the issue. At six overs [first time-out], they were 81,” Moody said. “[As a coach, at the time] you are having a conversation with your captain and key seniors, and you need to say ‘we need wickets. Who is our wicket-taker?’ You go ‘No. 1 Jasprit Bumrah, No. 2 someone else.'”[For the] next two overs minimum, those two bowlers [should’ve bowled] and the priority should’ve been wickets. ‘[As coach you say] forget about runs, let’s just take wickets. Let’s set the fields, let’s bowl the lines, let’s bowl the different paces and the right lengths to get back into the contest.'”Klaasen, who spoke to the broadcasters after his unbeaten 34-ball 80, said Mumbai “missed a trick” in the powerplay by using Bumrah for only one over and credited the Sunrisers top order for the platform he had. He also confirmed that the runs up top helped him face Bumrah without any pressure.”They didn’t bowl their best bowler in the powerplay… that was our plan,” Klaasen said while collecting the orange cap. “They missed a trick up front. We’ve got incredible strikers up front in our batting line-up. They just set the tempo so our work was basically done.”

Hero of 2022 final concentrates on return to full Test fitness in wake of knee surgery

Matt Roller02-Apr-2024Ben Stokes has ruled himself out of the T20 World Cup in June, telling England’s management that he does not want to be considered for selection for their title defence in the Caribbean.Stokes hit the winning run in the 2022 final, grinding out his maiden T20I half-century as England beat Pakistan by five wickets at the MCG. But he has only played two T20 matches since, both at last year’s IPL, and said missing the World Cup was “a sacrifice that allows me to be the allrounder I want to be for the foreseeable future”.Having previously retired from ODI cricket in the summer of 2022, Stokes reversed his decision in order to play in the 50-over World Cup late last year. However, that availability required him to delay knee surgery, and he was only able to bowl five overs across England’s recent 4-1 Test series defeat to India. He is expecting to play for Durham in the County Championship at some stage in the next few months, after opting out of IPL 2024.”I’m working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an allrounder in all formats of cricket,” Stokes said in a statement released by the ECB on Tuesday. “Opting out of the IPL and the World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the allrounder I want to be for the foreseeable future.Related

Meet Jamie Overton, England's T20 World Cup bolter

Matthew Mott: England close to T20 World Cup squad after bounce-back

Ben Stokes to retire from ODI cricket after Chester-le-Street farewell

Stokes gives England a glimpse of what might have been

A project in the balance as England confront the need to evolve

“The recent Test tour of India highlighted how far behind I was from a bowling point of view after my knee surgery and nine months without bowling. I’m looking forward to playing for Durham in the County Championship before the start of our Test summer. I wish Jos [Buttler], Motty [Matthew Mott] and all the team the best of luck in defending our title.”Stokes was reluctant to commit to the T20 World Cup before his surgery but said last month that he expected to be available for the tournament. Mott, England’s white-ball coach, confirmed in December that his return would be “a given” if fit, saying: “[Stokes] gives us that ability to have a seam bowler in your top six that gives you so many options with your team balance.”In Stokes’ absence, England will consider using Liam Livingstone in the No. 4 spot that he filled during their 3-2 defeat to West Indies in December – though Livingstone limped off with an apparent muscle strain while fielding for Punjab Kings on Sunday, and is waiting on scan results to determine its severity. Jamie Overton, the Surrey allrounder, will also come into contention.Stokes has only played three T20Is for England outside of World Cups in the last three years and his decision may well have ended a 43-match T20I career which has only rarely seen him at his best. But he could yet come into contention for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, when he will still only be 34 years old.